Department for Transport

Railways: Standards

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the punctuality of trains.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Holding answer received on 25 July 2019



Government takes train punctuality seriously and understands it is crucial to passengers and freight users. That is why Government agreed a Network Rail settlement for England and Wales of £47.9bn for Control Period 6 specifically aimed at maintaining and renewing the railway to improve reliability and punctuality for all rail users. We recognise performance on the railway has been unsatisfactory, and passengers have not always received the level of service they expected. While performance has improved recently, the new Transport Secretary understands passengers need the certainty of reliable journeys, and is determined to work with industry to improve performance. We continue to monitor the performance of our franchised operators closely to press for improvements for passengers.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Subsidies

Dr David Drew: [Suggested redraft] To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of farms at risk of closing down as a result of a new systems of agricultural payments as outlined in the Government's policy paper of 12 September 2018 on health and harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a green Brexit, what the size of those farms are; and the type of farming undertaken by those farms.

George Eustice: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 01 August 2019.The correct answer should have been:

In September 2018, alongside the Agriculture Bill and policy statement, the Government published an ‘Analysis of the impacts of removing Direct Payments’. This provided an overview of the potential impacts to different farm types and sizes of moving away from direct payments and introducing a new system of public money for public goods. It also showed the potential across all sectors for farmers to become more efficient – producing more for less – as a response to any reductions in direct payments. Direct payments are untargeted, poor value for money, undermine efficiency and productivity improvements, and limit opportunities for new entrants. They have imposed unnecessary bureaucracy on farmers and can inflate rent prices. Some of our most successful and vibrant food-producing sectors of agriculture have never been subsidised. For example the poultry industry, the pig industry and the horticulture industry. Direct payments are arbitrary payments based on land area that tend to favour larger land owners rather than smaller family farming businesses. In England we will phase out direct payments during an agricultural transition, giving time for farmers to adjust. Phasing out direct payments will free up money so we can reward farmers for delivering public goods, including environmental outcomes and animal welfare. We recognise that some certain sectors are more dependent than others on direct payments but provided that these farmers are delivering public goods, they will be well placed to benefit from the new system.

George Eustice: In September 2018, alongside the Agriculture Bill and policy statement, the Government published an ‘Analysis of the impacts of removing Direct Payments’. This provided an overview of the potential impacts to different farm types and sizes of moving away from direct payments and introducing a new system of public money for public goods. It also showed the potential across all sectors for farmers to become more efficient – producing more for less – as a response to any reductions in direct payments. Direct payments are untargeted, poor value for money, undermine efficiency and productivity improvements, and limit opportunities for new entrants. They have imposed unnecessary bureaucracy on farmers and can inflate rent prices. Some of our most successful and vibrant food-producing sectors of agriculture have never been subsidised. For example the poultry industry, the pig industry and the horticulture industry. Direct payments are arbitrary payments based on land area that tend to favour larger land owners rather than smaller family farming businesses. In England we will phase out direct payments during an agricultural transition, giving time for farmers to adjust. Phasing out direct payments will free up money so we can reward farmers for delivering public goods, including environmental outcomes and animal welfare. We recognise that some certain sectors are more dependent than others on direct payments but provided that these farmers are delivering public goods, they will be well placed to benefit from the new system.

Food Supply

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued to consumers on the supply of food in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

George Eustice: On 31 July, the Prime Minister announced a new £138 million public awareness campaign to prepare the public for every aspect of our leaving the EU without an agreement at the end of October.